Mitchell County | Health Scene | Summer 2020

HEALTH SCENE YOUR GUIDE TO WELLNESS AND GOOD HEALTH CARE SUMMER 2020 ® Masks out! Find out why and when to mask up Page 2 ‘Clear and urgent’ A local veteran steps up to give back Page 3 Standard U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7 O ur clinics in Osage, St. Ansgar and Riceville are open. In most cases, we can schedule your appointment with a primary care provider either the same day or the next day. We have extra precautions in place due to COVID-19 to ensure your safety.These include: ●  ● Speaking with patients who call specifically with respiratory symptoms to determine the best location for them to be seen. ●  ● Checking patients’ temperatures as they enter the building. ●  ● Checking all staff members’ temperatures upon arrival and departure from work. ●  ● Ensuring all patients and staff wear face masks. House calls? Vi r tua l Vi s i t s are ava i l ab l e at MCRHC Mitchell County Regional Health Center (MCRHC) now treats patients through its Virtual Visits service. With a Virtual Visit, you can meet with your provider through a secure video chat or telephone conference without leaving the comfort of your home. HOW IT WORKS The Virtual Visit experience is either a simple phone call or a video appointment similar to a Skype or FaceTime call. For video appointments, we use a conferencing software designed specifically for health care interactions. During virtual appointments, providers can prescribe or adjust medications, review test results, coordinate additional treatment options and assess whether further care is needed, and much more. MCRHC’s Colleen Byrnes, ARNP, regularly sees patients through Virtual Visits. “Not all conditions can be treated through a Virtual Visit, but there are times when it is a good alternative to a traditional in-office appointment,” she says. Virtual Visits, also known as telehealth, are easy to do, and your care team can walk you through the steps. Virtual Visits are conducted on a HIPAA- compliant, secure audio and video call, safeguarding your protected health information. Virtual Visits can treat: ●  ● Acne ●  ● Allergies ●  ● Athlete’s foot ●  ● Bladder infection Your safe, trusted choice for care It’s wonderful to live and work in such a caring community. Our staff greatly appreciates the kind notes, emails, phone calls, sponsored meals and donations of face masks received during the past few months. We are all working together during this unprecedented time, and I’m confident we will continue to do so as we learn how to live within the parameters of this pandemic. Improving the health of our communities now means putting new safeguards in place. For your safety, we have new precautions to limit any possible transmission of COVID-19 within Mitchell County Regional Health Center, which are shared within this issue of Health Scene . If you have delayed your health care because of the pandemic, you are not alone. Many Americans have, particularly older adults with chronic conditions. However, now is the time to call and make an appointment— we are ready to provide the personalized care you need with your safety in mind. Our clinics are open, and we now have telehealth Virtual Visits available as an option. We are committed to your care and safety and look forward to seeing you at your next appointment. Sincerely, Shelly Russell, CEO Mitchell County Regional Health Center Shelly Russell CEO Need to be seen? Don’t wait! Same-day/next-day appointments available We are open! Call to schedule an appointment. Osage: 641-732-6100 | St. Ansgar: 641-736-4401 | Riceville: 641-985-2122 —Continued on page 2